Written questions by Badenoch.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to bring forward secondary legislation on street naming under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people to vote on changes to the name of their street.

Section 81 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 replaced the previously inconsistent arrangements for the renaming of streets. It enables local authorities to make changes to street names if they determine they command ‘sufficient local support’ and sets an expectation of local engagement prior to any change. The Government intends to monitor the operation of these arrangements with a view to assessing the case for secondary legislation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page eight of HM Treasury's technical note entitled Applying VAT to Private School Fees and Removing the Business Rates Charitable Rates Relief for Private Schools, what provisions will be included in the Local Government Finance Bill.

The business rates policy change will be legislated for through a Local Government Finance Bill led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which will be introduced following the Budget and is intended to take effect from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary process. As set out in the technical note, the VAT policy change will be legislated for in the Finance Bill, which will be introduced following the Budget.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release on new towns, published on 31 July 2024, at what time the press release was issued by her Department under embargo to the media; and for what reason the announcement was made online and not to Parliament.

It has always been the Government’s intention to provide an update to the House on the New Towns Taskforce. However, the House was not sitting on 31 July. We will provide an update in the usual manner in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled, Retained Right to Buy receipts and their use for replacement supply, updated on 30 July 2024, if she will make a forecast of the total number of new build affordable houses set to be built during this Parliament.

The Government has committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will update Parliament on our progress.

Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on promoting the use of Local Development Orders by local planning authorities.

Local development orders are an important tool to enable local planning authorities to proactively grant planning permission for specific developments or classes of development.The National Planning Policy Framework encourages local planning authorities to use local development orders for particular areas or categories of development where the impacts would be acceptable, and in particular where this development would promote economic, social or environmental gains for the area.The Planning Advisory Service has also published best practice guidance on the use of local development orders and we encourage local planning authorities to take advantage of this guidance.

Communities and Local Government, which legislative provisions from the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 have been commenced; which provisions have not been commenced; and whether she plans to commence the remaining provisions.

Following Royal Assent of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act in October 2023, a small number of provisions were commenced by the previous Government, for example relating to pavement licensing. Since then, we have made clear in our recent consultation on national planning policy that we do not intend to take forward provisions that would cut across our commitments to streamlining the planning process and unlocking development, such as the Infrastructure Levy.We do, however, intend to implement a new Local Plan system; move to a universal strategic planning system; reform the compulsory purchase process and compensation rules; and replace authority-wide design codes with detailed codes for growth/priority areas. We are actively deciding how to implement these provisions, as well as which other provisions best support our growth objectives, and will provide updates in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 30 July 2024 entitled Building the homes we need, HCWS48, if she will publish a list of the numerical reduction in the local housing target over this Parliament as a result of the abolition of the urban uplift in each relevant local authority area.

The proposed changes to local housing need figures for each local authority are set out in the ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system’ consultation documents. These can be found at gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, whether any of (a) her Parliamentary staff, (b) the Parliamentary staff of other Ministers and (c) Labour Party staff have joined her Department as civil servants, rather than special advisers, since the general election.

It is the longstanding convention of government under successive administrations that we do not comment on matters relating to individual staff.There are clear rules governing recruitment and appointment of civil service roles, which are regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

Communities and Local Government, how many special advisers have been appointed to her Department as of 30 August 2024; and whether she plans to recruit more.

As of the end of August 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister had appointed four Special Advisers to the department to support her ministerial role.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, if the proposed changes to Green Belt policy on traveller sites will be a material consideration for decision-making for (a) planning applications and (b) planning enforcement appeals on unauthorised traveller sites.

Without changing its purposes or general extent, the Government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and release, so that we can build more homes in the right places. Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to new “golden rules” to ensure it delivers in the public interest.The Government is currently consulting on a number of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These include proposals to release low-quality grey belt land within the Green Belt to meet housing and other development needs. We are seeking views on how the proposals under the NPPF would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development.The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should produce their own assessment of need and plan to meet this need through their Local Plan.Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. Our proposals do not impact on these and we will keep the use of them under review.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, whether the proposed changes to traveller planning policy on decision making will be material consideration when a council considers a Temporary Stop Notice.

Without changing its purposes or general extent, the Government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and release, so that we can build more homes in the right places. Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to new “golden rules” to ensure it delivers in the public interest.The Government is currently consulting on a number of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These include proposals to release low-quality grey belt land within the Green Belt to meet housing and other development needs. We are seeking views on how the proposals under the NPPF would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development.The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should produce their own assessment of need and plan to meet this need through their Local Plan.Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. Our proposals do not impact on these and we will keep the use of them under review.

Communities and Local Government, whether Mr Haydon Etherington was appointed to her Department following open competition; on what date he was appointed; what his pay band is; and for what reason he was appointed as a civil servant rather than a Departmental special adviser.

There are clear rules governing recruitment and appointment of civil service roles which are regulated by the Civil Service Commission. We do not comment on individual staffing matters. The approach to recruitment and staffing levels is in line with the approach taken for these central functions under the previous administration.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 30 July 2024 entitled Building the homes we need, HCWS48, what changes have been made to the (a) estimated number of new affordable units, (b) the tenure, and (c) completion dates, relative to the original targets for the 2021-26 Affordable Housing Programme in London.

In 2020, the previous government announced that the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme would achieve “up to 180,000 homes, should economic conditions allow”. Upon taking office, this Government discovered than the 2021-26 AHP is now expected to deliver between 110,000 and 130,000 affordable homes, broken down as follows:a. At least 40,000 social rent homesb. 44,000 – 56,000 affordable homes for ownershipc. 5% of delivery for supported housingd. 5% – 10% of Homes England delivery for rural housingIn July, we announced a year’s extension to the completions deadline of homes built in London through the programme, from March 2029 to March 2030.

Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were delivered through the Affordable Homes Programme in England between 2016 and 2023.

The previous government set a target for the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme to deliver around 250,000 affordable homes, including at least 116,000 homes in London. Around 244,000 new housing starts had been delivered by the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme by March 2023. In August 2023, the GLA reported that 116,782 homes were started in London from April 2015 to March 2023.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, whether unmet need for traveller sites would constitute grounds for traveller site development in (a) the green belt and (b) open countryside.

Without changing its purposes or general extent, the Government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and release, so that we can build more homes in the right places. Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to new “golden rules” to ensure it delivers in the public interest.The Government is currently consulting on a number of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These include proposals to release low-quality grey belt land within the Green Belt to meet housing and other development needs. We are seeking views on how the proposals under the NPPF would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development.The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should produce their own assessment of need and plan to meet this need through their Local Plan.Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. Our proposals do not impact on these and we will keep the use of them under review.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of affordable homes that are being delivered through the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-2023 in London; what the original targets were; and what assessment (a) her Department and (b) Homes England have made of the effectiveness of the Greater London Authority at completing new affordable housing under this programme.

The previous government set a target for the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme to deliver around 250,000 affordable homes, including at least 116,000 homes in London. Around 244,000 new housing starts had been delivered by the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme by March 2023. In August 2023, the GLA reported that 116,782 homes were started in London from April 2015 to March 2023.

Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on build to rent; and what assessment she has made of the impact of her policies on private rented sector regulation on future investment in the build to rent sector.

This government is supportive of the Build to Rent sector and wants it to grow further. We do not expect our forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill to have a destabilising effect on the rental market and will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, whether the absence of a five-year land supply for traveller sites would constitute grounds for traveller site development in the green belt in the context of (a) a local plan and (b) an individual planning decision.

Without changing its purposes or general extent, the Government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and release, so that we can build more homes in the right places. Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to new “golden rules” to ensure it delivers in the public interest.The Government is currently consulting on a number of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These include proposals to release low-quality grey belt land within the Green Belt to meet housing and other development needs. We are seeking views on how the proposals under the NPPF would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development.The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should produce their own assessment of need and plan to meet this need through their Local Plan.Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. Our proposals do not impact on these and we will keep the use of them under review.

Communities and Local Government, if she will amend building regulations to allow new homes to be built with openable sash windows.

Whilst there could be some situations where, for safety reasons, designers may choose to restrict window opening, the Building Regulations do not preclude the inclusion of openable sash windows in new homes.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of civil servants by (a) title and (b) pay band have been employed by her Department without open competition since the General Election.

MHCLG made 35 appointments by exception to fair, open and merit-based recruitment principles from 1 July to 31 August 2024.All appointments were at grades below the Senior Civil Service.As a proportion, the exceptions appointed during this time equate to 0.89% of the workforce.